


Just For Us

by JoMouse



Series: New Year [2]
Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Boys Kissing, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, New Year's Resolutions, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 20:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9140458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMouse/pseuds/JoMouse
Summary: A year ago, Zayn and Liam met on the Isle of Wight. Three hundred and sixty-four days later, they are still looking for each other.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> This story is a sequel to [Happy New Year](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5564128). You don't need to read that one, but it wouldn't hurt.
> 
> I started planning this one almost immediately after I posted the last one, but didn't start writing it until this morning. Big thanks to Christina and Jenn for their super speedy betaing for me on New Year's Eve. They are both awesome people that I can always count on!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this!!!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Liam stood on the sidewalk, staring up at the house in front of him. It looked different from the front, having only used the beach entrance, he wasn’t even sure at first if he was at the right place. His eyes scanned the yard for anything that would give him a sign of the previous year’s inhabitant being there, but nothing there screamed his name. In fact, the only thing in the yard that stood out was the  _ For Sale _ sign. At least there wasn’t a  _ Sold  _ sticker across it, so there was still hope.

With a sigh, Liam pushed through the gate, approaching slowly. He stood on the porch, leaning to peek through one of the windows, letting out a sigh when the interior looked the same as he remembered, except for the addition of a small television hanging above the mantle. Liam knocked, waiting to see or hear movement from inside, but there was nothing. He let his forehead rest against the door for a moment, knowing it had been a foolish whim, but he couldn’t help hoping he’d be able to see him again.

After a couple more minutes, Liam pushed off the door, careful not to crush the white roses he had grasped in his hand. He laid them gently on the welcome mat before heading back towards his car, hoping that at least, he would get the flowers with his phone number on the card. Then, maybe finally, Zayn would call him.

It had been almost a year since he’d last seen Zayn. Just one day short since they’d parted ways, after spending the night and next day together. Three hundred and sixty-four days and Liam still remembered it like it was yesterday.

_ It was only the next morning, January 2nd, when Liam realized that he hadn’t gotten a number from Zayn. He dropped his toothbrush, pasted and unused, into the sink and ran out the door. Running down the beach, he tried to remember which house it was, finally recognizing it, but when he arrived, it was empty, all of the furniture already covered in white sheets. He dropped to his knees behind the house, glaring at it like it was to blame for taking Zayn from him, rather than his own stupidity. _

_ After catching his breath, his disappointment consuming him, he rose to his feet, deciding to deal with the crippling emotion the way that he always did: writing. He left the beach and headed into town to the big box store, deciding to shell out for a new laptop, not wanting his thoughts to be slowed down by his handwriting. _

_ He wrote the entire day and through the night, stopping only to refill his whiskey glass and grab the vegetable platter and shrimp ring from the refrigerator, picking on them as he continued to work. He finally stopped at three a.m., satisfied with the first draft which he quickly sent off to his publisher, George, asking for an opinion.  _

_ Once it was sent, he tried to get some sleep but found he was too wired with anticipation, a passion he hadn’t felt for a new story in a long time, especially not a short novella such as this would be. He climbed out of bed and began to tidy the rented space, packing his bags for his return trip to London the next morning. _

_ He chewed his lip as he thought over the story, it was completely different than anything he’d written before. He worried George would laugh him out of the business, but instead, as he was getting ready to shut down the laptop and finally get some sleep, he received an email that the story had been forwarded to Liam’s usual editor, Kye, and they were going to rush publication. Liam breathed a sigh of relief at George’s eagerness regarding Liam’s foray into romance novels, a far cry from the science fiction he normally wrote. _

Liam glanced down at the copy of his book,  _ Let Go, Live Life _ , at the bright red bow. He considered leaving it with the roses, but changed his mind, not wanting to risk it falling into the wrong hands. The book had a simple dedication,  _ To Z: For getting on with life and not letting it pass us by. Thank you. -L _ This copy, though, held a special inscription including all of Liam’s contact info, having hoped to not miss that opportunity again.

As Liam ran to his car, a light rain began to fall and he sincerely hoped that Zayn didn’t think that he was too much in the past and had already moved on.

***

Zayn stared down at the roses on the welcome mat, a smile quirking his lips as he found his heart hoping against hope they were from who he thought they were. He picked them up gently, running a fingertip over the soft petals before plucking the now wet card from its perch between the buds. All of the writing was smeared except for a large  _ L  _ at the bottom corner.  _ Liam. _

Zayn let himself into the cottage, wondering what else had been written on the card. He wished he could figure it out, find a way to contact Liam. He put the roses in a vase before moving them into the living room. Settling onto the sofa, his feet curled beneath him, he picked up the well-worn copy of  _ Let Go, Live Life _ that he was reading for the umpteenth time. 

_ It was a Friday in June and Zayn was trying to get some work done before the weekend. He had plans to visit the cottage, begin cleaning it out a bit because he’d finally decided to sell the place that was heavy with memories of his husband. A small part of him didn’t want to sell it, thinking of the one magic night he’d shared with a near stranger. He thought about the kiss- _

_ He was jerked from his thoughts by his mate Danny dropping something on his desk before smacking his hand down upon it. Zayn looked to see a thin book beneath his friend’s meaty hand. He tried to read the title, but couldn’t manage, so he looked up, his face puzzled. _

_ “What was the name of that bloke you met on New Years? Liam, wasn’t it?” he demanded, removing his hand and sliding the book across the surface towards Zayn. “The missus read this and said the Zach character reminded her of you. So I read it and it’s uncanny, mate.” _

_ Zayn picked up the book carefully, hand running over the cover, mouthing the title to himself before his eyes traced the name  _ Liam Payne _ in bold letters underneath the title. In smaller print beneath that were the words:  _ “Science fiction writer Payne’s first attempt at romance will win, and break, your heart.”

_ He opened the book, nearly choking as he read the dedication page, there was no way it could be his Liam, but if it wasn’t, it was a hell of a coincidence. Flipping the book over, he gasped at Liam’s face smiling up at him, his Liam. He scanned the bio beneath, smiling as Liam’s dogs were mentioned, remembering the tales Liam had shared over breakfast on New Year’s Day. Finally, he looked at the book’s description on the front flap of the jacket:  _ Two strangers, Zach and Layne, meet on New Year’s Eve on the Isle of Wight. One is trying to forget a past of pain while the other just doesn’t want to miss out on life. Neither wanted to spend the night alone.  _ It went on in a bit more detail, but just those few words told Zayn all he needed to know; this was  _ their _ story. _

_ He looked up, finding Danny back at his desk, watching him with a small smile on his face. Zayn only frowned, touched by the proof that Liam hadn’t forgotten him, but he was still no closer to getting in contact with him. Turning to his computer, he typed in Liam’s website, surprised by the amount of praise and support the novel was getting. He read the message boards, smiling at the speculation of what inspired the story. _

_ Finally, curiosity got the best of him, so he went into his boss, requesting an early dismissal for the day. He drove home, packing quickly before heading to the Isle and his cottage. Once inside, he curled up on the sofa with a cuppa and read the book from start to finish. He brushed away tears with the back of his hand as he closed the books on the last chapter.  _ Layne couldn’t help hoping that fate would bring them together again. _ Zayn had the same thought as he stood to put the book on the shelf, next to the other three Liam Payne novels. He chuckled, unbelieving, that he’d never made the connection between the author of his favourite books and his Liam. _

Now as he sat in the cottage, eyes falling on the realtor’s cards sitting on the coffee table, the book in his lap, Zayn began to regret his decision to sell. He had never thought, for even one moment, that Liam would return to find him. Even after reading the book, it had never crossed his mind. Zayn looked towards the window, eyes tracing the trails of the raindrops, wondering if Liam would stop by again. Picking up the phone, he dialed his realtor.

***

After having dinner and a couple drinks at the overcrowded pub in town, Liam had decided to walk along the beach rather than return to the inn where many celebrations had started earlier in the evening. He bundled himself into his jacket, walking into the wind until he was pretty sure he was in the spot he’d been in the year before. Sitting on the ground, legs spread, he played with the sand between his legs, the drizzle making it wet enough to mold into a castle. He could feel the dampness soaking into his jeans, but he didn’t care as he stared out over the water, the darkening sky making him a bit nervous and yet he still couldn’t bring himself to return to his car.

He was lost in thought when he heard a throaty chuckle from behind himself. Glancing back over his shoulder, his smile widened as his eyes fell on a familiar face. He pushed himself to his feet, brushing his hands off on his jeans before realizing they were even worse off than his hands. He took a few steps closer to the figure watching him. He opened his mouth to speak but found he was at a loss for words.

“Hi,” Zayn said, smiling when Liam closed his mouth again.

“Hi.” They smiled at each other before bursting into laughter, the only thing that would release the bubbles of excitement inside both of them.

“Thank you for the roses,” Zayn said, reaching a hand out to cup Liam’s cheek. “And the book.”

Liam moved closer, his hands running around Zayn’s waist, an apology on his lips that was quickly pushed away by Zayn’s lips as he pushed to his toes, eyes sparkling, rivaling the stars that were absent from the cloudy night sky. They smiled as they relearned each other’s mouths, hands running over each other’s arms and backs, not being able to settle their restlessness.

Liam had not idea how long they stood there before giggles caused them to break the kiss. Looking over, they saw a couple of teenage girls watching them, smiling and giggling. Liam’s face flushed as Zayn buried his face in Liam’s neck, nipping at the birthmark there. “Sorry,” he muttered, but the girls just waved them off before continuing down the beach.

“Maybe we should go inside,” Zayn said against his neck before pulling away.

“Lead the way,” Liam said, taking Zayn’s hand, confused when he started to laugh. “What?” Zayn pointed behind himself and Liam looked up to find that he was directly behind Zayn’s cottage. He’d wandered all the way down to Zayn’s instead of stopping where he’d thought he had the year before.

Quietly, they walked into the house, Liam looking down at his sand covered jeans as he stood on the mat by the back door. Zayn disappeared deeper into the cottage, towards his bedroom if Liam remembered correctly, before reappearing with a pair of joggers. “Here,” he said, handing them over before taking Liam’s jacket and pointing him towards the restroom just off the living room.

Once Liam closed the door behind himself, Zayn went into the kitchen, placing both hands on the island and dropping his head between his shoulders. He took deep breaths, trying to steady his heart. He couldn’t believe it when he’d looked out earlier and seen the figure on the beach. It was wider in the shoulders than he remembered Liam being, the hair shorter, but something had told him it was Liam. He’d walked out quietly, the chuckle escaping as soon as he was sure it was him sitting there digging in the sand like a puppy.

He startled when arms wrapped around his waist, quickly disappearing at his movement. “Sorry,” Liam said as Zayn turned to him. “I should-”

Zayn shook his head. “I’m not used to anyone else being here with me.” He moved to the refrigerator, opening it and pulling out a bottle of champagne identical to the one they’d shared the year before. He set it on the island before digging in the cabinets for the glasses, glad he hadn’t packed up much of the cottage yet. He snapped his fingers once he set the glasses on the island, pulling his phone out of his pocket and sliding it across to Liam. “Before we forget again.”

Liam smiled. He picked up the phone and turned to walk out of the kitchen, leaving Zayn gaping after him. He returned a moment later, holding out a book and Zayn’s phone. He took the book, smiling. “I have this.”

“Open it,” Liam said, moving to stand next to him, already tired of the distance between them. Zayn opened the book, smiling at the handwritten note on the front page, the phone numbers and email addresses that were listed. “Although, I hope never to be apart long enough for the emails to be necessary,” Liam said, sliding his hand around Zayn’s waist, chin resting on his shoulder as Zayn’s fingers traced the words,  _ Love, Liam _ at the bottom of the page.

“Really?”

“Really,” Liam confirmed, turning Zayn in his arms. “I’ve spent a year thinking about you. Missing you. A person I barely knew but knew that I needed more than I’d ever needed anyone. When I came here today and saw that you were sell-”

“I’m not,” Zayn interrupted. “When I realized you were looking for me here, I knew that I couldn’t sell it. Even though I shared this place with Dax, this place became ours last New Year’s.” He pressed a quick kiss to Liam’s lips. “That night, my life changed, became something new. This cottage became ours. I couldn’t bring myself to sell it. Just like I couldn’t change the carpeting where you spilled the champagne last year.”

Liam’s laughter wrapped around him, warming him in a way he hadn’t felt since the last time Liam had held him. The clock over the counter chimed the half hour, letting them know that there was a half hour to midnight. Pulling out of Liam’s embrace, Zayn grabbed the bottle and glasses from the island before heading into the living room.

“I have a television this year,” Zayn said, smiling. “We can watch the countdown.”

“Would it be terrible if we didn’t?” Liam asked. “I really like how we did it last year.”

Zayn smiled, grabbing the clock off the mantle, drawing Liam’s attention to another difference in the room. “The photos are gone.”

“It was time,” Zayn explained. He pointed to the bookshelf where one photo of Zayn and his husband remained. Liam nodded, smiling at it before turning his attention to the bottle, opening it with less struggle this year. “You didn’t even spill.”

Once the glasses were filled, they sat close together on the sofa, speaking softly. “Resolutions?” Zayn finally asked, his eyes falling on the clock, noting it was five minutes to midnight.

“Never let you go,” Liam said, his voice filled with assurance.

“Funny, that’s mine as well,” Zayn responded. He reached over for the glasses, handing one to Liam before moving to sit in his lap as he had at midnight the year before. He brushed his nose against Liam’s, giggling as Liam moved to nip at the tip.

They kissed for a few moments before Liam gave a small pinch to Zayn’s side. “Not to spoil the moment, but 10…”

Zayn pressed another kiss to his lips. “9…”

Liam smiled broadly. “8…”

Zayn giggled.  “7…”

Liam brushed Zayn’s hair off his forehead. “6...”

“5...”

“4…”

Zayn brushed his lips against Liam’s. “3…did you really mean your resolution?”

Liam smiled. “2…I did.”

They didn’t even get the “1” out before they were kissing, the emotion much more heated than the year before.

Without breaking the kiss, Zayn managed to take their glasses and set them on the end table. Liam stood, holding Zayn around the waist, breaking the kiss to look at him with a raised eyebrow and jerk of his head towards the bedroom. Zayn nodded before kissing him again. 

“Happy New Year, Zayn,” Liam said, holding Zayn with ease as he walked down the hall, stopping to press him against the wall for another kiss.

“So, is this going to be your next book?” Zayn asked as they entered the bedroom, falling onto the bed in the darkened room just as the moon came out from behind the clouds. The light fell through the large windows and across the bed, showing the insecure smile on Zayn’s face.

“No, this is just for us,” Liam whispered, falling into another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to come talk to me on Twitter or tumblr. I really love meeting new people!


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